Texas has been known for many things through the years and Texas Hippie Coalition is just the next commodity from the great Lone Star State. The band of outlaws return with their unique blend of “Red Dirt Metal” with their latest release Ride On. The album is set to drop on October 7th via Carved Records/Caroline Distribution. From the guttural laugh on album opener “El Diablo Rojo” to the chugging outro of closer “I Am The End,” it is clear Texas Hippie Coalition are back with a vengeance. The band is comprised of one of hard rock’s most engaging frontmen Big Dad Ritch on vocals, Cord Pool on guitars, John Exall on bass guitar and Timmy Braun on drums. Ride On proves Texas Hippie Coalition is taking it to the next level and looking to recruit new outlaws to join them on their musical adventure.

“It’s like Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top had a child, and Pantera ended up raising it,” exclaims Big Dad Ritch. “We’re Red Dirt Metal. That’s a flag we wave high. There wasn’t a line formed for us, so I created a line and jumped to the front of that bad boy. Ride On is the best example of what we do.”

The first single released from Ride On is the southern rocker “Monster In Me.” The band has released a lyric video for the song to give fans a small taste of what the new album sounds like. The video for the song can be seen at:

The band also launched a new website to coincide with the latest chapter in the Texas Hippie Coalition saga. www.thcofficial.com is the destination for all information on the band, latest album and tour information. The band recently finished spreading their “Red Dirt Metal” message on this year’s Mayhem Festival. They have been winning over fans and critics alike with Music Junkie Press stating, “They tore up the stage as they brought an ass whooping to the crowd.”

Texas Hippie Coalition formed when Big Dad Ritch and John Exall met in Texas. The band have been riding high after three critically acclaimed albums—Pride of Texas [2008], Rollin [2010], and Peacemaker [2012], which debuted in the Top 20 of Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums Chart. They’ve left crowds drunk, disorderly, and begging for more everywhere from Rock on the Range and Rocklahoma to the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival performing alongside the likes of Korn, Kid Rock, Alter Bridge, Guns n Roses and more.

Eastern Front Album Launch

@ Black Heart, London

26th July 2014

Review by Caitlin Smith

While the trenches on the eastern front may have been damp and cold, but t temperatures rise at the Black Heart that evening as it hosts an similarly grim day of black metal to mark the release of Eastern Front’s sophomore album ‘Descent into Genocide’.

JEFF PLATE

INTERVIEW BY MARKO SYRJALA AND ARTO LEHTINEN

LIVE PHOTOS BY MARKO SYRJALA

New York native Jeff Plate is a professional drummer who’s best known for his drumming for legendary metal band Savatage which went to hiatus in 2002. Plate appeared on four Savatage albums including the classic DEAD WINTER DEAD (1995) and WAKE OF MAGELLAN (1997). Plate’s currently plays with Trans-Siberian Orchestra which was formed in 1993. The band is highly successful and they’re annually playing sold out Xmas tours mainly across the USA. The band mostly consists of current and former members of Savatage including the bands co-founder and main composer Jon Oliva. Plate is also a member classic metal band Metal Church. He first joined that band in 2006 and stayed until they disbanded in 2009. Only three years later the band was back and in 2013 they released GENERATION NOTHING, which was their first studio album in five years. Metal Church made their first ever performance in Finland in June 2014 when they arrived to the Tuska Festival in Helsinki. There we had the chance to sit down with Jeff and discuss Metal Church, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and of course, Savatage.

EDIT: After this interview was arranged, Savatage officially announced that they will do their long-awaited re-union show next year at the Wacken Open Air Festival. See ya there!

Louisville, Kentucky’s traditional metal onslaught Savage Master is set to release their debut full length record “Mask Of The Devil” this Halloween through Skol Records, one of the more trusted and reputable labels of the underground. I recently had the chance to visit with Stacey “Savage” Peak, the band’s vocalist, who is every bit as talented as the band’s commanding vocalist as she is as a black studded leather clad beauty. A tour is currently under works and set to kick off this November. Be sure to check out the band’s new album and witness their Satanic sorcery when they come to your town!

Ethereal Interview by Jarod Lawley

Formed in 2002 in Liverpool, Ethereal are one of the UK’s premier underground black metal outfits at the moment. Having just inked in a deal with the legendary Candlelight Records, and gigging frequently in London and across the UK , this is a band on the rise. We spoke to Naut and Iyaan to find out more…

After 4 years of meticulously evolving and honing their brand of music, Heavy Metal band Jagged Surge, has finally decided that the time was now ripe to release a song, which will give insight into what music fans can expect. Hailing from Bangalore, India and comprising of musicians who have cut their teeth with various bands, Jagged Surge provide the following description: “CUTTING EDGE MUSIC WITH AN ONSET BURST OF POWER.”

The band is set to release a single, titled SOS(Saving Our Soldiers), via Record Label Neutrax Enterprise, which is to come out in the 2nd week of Sept. In the meantime,they have brought out a “teaser” to give us a first glimpse of the track.
Saving Our Soldiers – Jagged Surge – Teaser:

Cult of Luna Interview

with Johannes Persson [Guitarist/Frontman]

Interview by Ashlinn Nash

Beyond the Redshift – an all day one day festival taking place in three London venues ; The dome, The Boston Music Rooms and The Kentish town forum. It’s something as ambitious as it is beautiful, it’s also a return for Cult of Luna who have gone from strength to strength since last years double releases of Vertikal – parts one and two.

Cult of Luna

The Headline band are also the events curators, we caught up for a quick chat with guitarist and front man Johannes Persson for a very personal and revealing interview about the festival, plans for the future and what was the motive behind going Beyond the Redshift.

Amon Amarth
with Darkest Era

@ Limelight1, Belfast

August 12th, 2014

Review by Jonathan Traynor

Pictures by Paul Verner

WHEN agreeing to review Amon Amarth Belfast date I did warn the commissioning editor that I would be opting for the more visceral experience of reviewing it with a pint or two, (ahem!) and probably from the pit.

Undeterred, she gave the okay! Given Amon Amarth are one of my favourite bands, it was inevitable that I’d want to be in the thick of the action when the Swedes came to town!Read the rest of this entry »

Broad Horizon Records is pleased to announce that The Mighty Swine will be joining the legendary Doro for her North American tour in support of their latest release, Last Man Standing. This is their first N. American tour since 2012 and will highlight songs from their newest release including; Last Man Standing, Two Graves, and All That is Evil.

Doro Pesch

Doro will be bringing her 30 Years Strong & Proud Anniversary Tour to North America in October 2014 (see dates below)
Doro says, “The Anniversary Tour was incredibly well-received everywhere and we know there are many more places we need to get to. I’m always super excited to play in the USA and Canada. Looking forward to seeing all our great fans, friends, and metalheads again. See you soon… Raise Your Fist!”

It was a secret show; announced on the Social Network and promoted as the band name Jam Prancer, but those in the know were quick to share that the band was none other than the historically and politically incorrect kings of sexual perversion – Steel Panther. Known for their well rehearsed debauchery and having less than just six months ago given up their residency at the House Of Blues Hollywood, the news from the band was that the North American bus tour would keep them from returning to Hollywood for the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, August 13th, it was clear that the band would not miss the opportunity to return and celebrate with the long standing establishment that continues to dominate the Sunset Strip’s performance scene, the Viper Room and it’s 21st Anniversary Week of shows.

After successfully concluding their world-tour in support of the 2013 output »Straight Out Of Hell«, the party has been concluded upon the festival summer.

Clearly no time to sit back & relax, as the pumpkin heads will heading right for their very own MiSueno Studios, located on the isle of Tenerife to start working on the successor of »Straight Out Of Hell« in October. Joining the band to handle production duties will be long-term companion Charlie Bauerfeind. The new album which is set for a release in May 2015 will be the first since HELLOWEEN have inked a new deal with old label home Nuclear Blast, where they released two albums – »The Dark Ride« (2000) and »Rabbit Don’t Come Easy« (2003), both of which have been re-issued with extended bonus material in 2013.

Last but not least, HELLOWEEN would like to send out a big “Thank You” to all the Helloween Maniacs worldwide with some live impressions of the title track of the charting success »Straight Out Of Hell« turned out to be, landing on a sensational #4, their highest German chart entry to date, holding this position for five long weeks. Additionally they made another five Top ten entries in Europe and also cracked the US Billboard Charts.

Legendary Seattle metal band, Sanctuary, has posted the artwork for their upcoming album, The Year The Sun Died. Created by Travis Smith (OPETH, NEVERMORE) the album art can be seen below.

The album will be released in North America on October 14 (October 6 in Europe) and will feature 11 tracks. There will be a deluxe media book, available exclusively at CM Distro in the United States, which features expanded packaging and the bonus track, “Waiting for the Sun”, originally recorded by THE DOORS. The vinyl version will come with a CD featuring this bonus track as well.

The 11 tracks on the CD and LP are as follows:

The Year The Sun Died track-listing
1. Arise and Purify
2. Let The Serpent Follow Me
3. Exitium (Anthem of the Living)
4. Question Existence Fading
5. I Am Low
6. Frozen
7. One Final Day (Sworn to Believe)
8. The World is Wired
9. The Dying Age
10. Ad Vitam Aeternam
11. The Year the Sun Died

Fans of KIX– Steve Whiteman (vocals), Brian “Damage” Forsythe (guitar), Ronnie “10/10″ Younkins (guitar), Jimmy “Chocolate” Chalfant (drums), Mark Schenker (bass)—have waited almost two decades for new music. Now that their seventh album was released August 5 on Loud & Proud Records, their unwavering and undying support has landed ROCK YOUR FACE OFF in the Top 50 on Billboard’s “Top 200 Albums” chart.

Elsewhere in Billboard, in addition to the #48 chart debut, ROCK YOUR FACE OFF debuted at #5 on the Independent Albums chart, #11 on the Top Internet chart, #17 on the Top Rock Albums chart, #27 on the Indy/Small Chain Core Stores chart and #33 on the Physical chart. It also debuted at #1 on Amazon’s Hard Rock and Metal chart.

Rave reviews have been pouring in since ROCK YOUR FACE OFF was released:

“KIX have made an album with all the spirit and joy and craftsmanship that they always brought, an album with a hooks-per-minute ratio enough to grab you even if you never heard of them before reading this review. The band plays with a sense of rhythmic push-pull that reminds you that people used to dance to this stuff, and that they still could, if they were so inclined. “Rollin’ In Honey,” about having so much sex that you feel like you’re drowning, rides cowbells and backing-vocal chants that push the song close to bubblegum-disco territory…Nearly every song has oh whoa whoa backing vocals that will get stuck in your head for hours. All of it is delirious and catchy, and it proudly flaunts its out-of-fashion party-hard spirit. It’s glittering trash, made by guys in their fifties who probably hold down day jobs these days and who have no business making this vigorous and fun anymore. Its mere existence is an inspirational thing, and it’s a reminder that sometimes exploring new musical space isn’t the most important thing. Sometimes, songs are the most important thing.” (Stereogum.com)

“The album, which was produced by Taylor Rhodes, is a collection of blues-inspired rock that combines catchy hooks and tasty riffs with the inspired musicianship and party atmosphere KIX are known for.” (GuitarWorld.com)

“…it is good to see that KIX has stuck to their signature style in your face AC/DC sound…In the vein of BLOW YOUR FUSE the up tempo beat of the band never diminishes and keeps on rolling. The tightness of the band is evident…ROCK YOUR FACE OFF is the perfect summertime record. Crank it up to ten and roll your top down, as the pride of Maryland shows the country how to rock East Coast style.” (Hardrockhaven.net)